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MCR Team is featured column in AARN Racing News

Small Cars - Big Buzz

by BARRY ANGSTADT :

MCR & Todd Hoover A Force To Be Reckoned With in 2012

Timing is everything, whether the subject is racing or just about anything else in life.
Todd Hoover has been competing in the 270cc Micro-Sprint ranks for the past eleven years, and every one of those seasons has been very good to him.
Seven track championships, including the last three in a row at Selinsgrove Raceway Park, and 71 feature victories are listed in his 270cc resume`, leaving the Mt. Pleasant Mills, Pa. wheel-twister ready for a new challenge.
Hoover wanted to make the leap into the 600cc division, but he lacked the resources, i.e. cubic dollars, to "do it right." Here's where the "timing is everything" theory comes into play...
Enter Ron Campbell of Harrington Body Shop and father of young racer Matt Campbell.
Ron has his son on a steady course to climb up the various levels of local racing divisions. From Karts to 125cc Micro-Sprints to the faster 270cc Class, Matt Campbell was proving to be a quick study and he was winning, although he is still on the uphill side of the 270cc learning curve after just one season of activity in that class.
Matt's father knows his son could use a mentor as he tries to master the ultra-competitive 270 Micros, and also as the team prepares for Matt to make his 600cc debut (hopefully) later in the season. What better way for the team to get better in the 270 and learn the ins-and-outs of the 600cc cars than by hiring someone to mentor young Matthew AND compete in a Campbell-owned 600 during the entire 2012 season? Can you see where this story is headed?
A short phone call is all that was needed for Ron Campbell to hire Todd Hoover as mentor/driver for MCR (Matt Campbell Racing). The 41-year-old Hoover, who sold all of his 270cc equipment at the end of last season, will make his 600cc MCR debut in a few weeks at the March 17 opener at the Trail-Way Speedway.
Why Todd Hoover, you may be asking? We'll let Ron Campbell provide the answer...
"During the off season I had decided to field a top flight 600 Micro team for 2012 to get a head start on the learning curve for when I move Matt up to the 600 series. The game plan was to put together an upper tier 600 team to compete at Trail-Way on Saturday nights and run the PA 600 Speedweek series."
"Todd Hoover is a well-known and well respected driver, and I decided to hire him to drive for me and mentor Matt in the 270cc Class. I met Todd about three years ago at Selinsgrove when Matt was in his first year in the 125cc class. Todd took Matt under his wing, like a little brother, and helped guide him to the 125cc point championship in his rookie season in Micro-Sprint racing in 2009. Todd again helped us in 2010 when Matt finished a close second in points at Selinsgrove, and a strong friendship was born."
During those two seasons, Matt recorded twelve triumphs in 125cc competition to go along with the first and second place finishes in points.
Despite his relative lack of experience in the 600's, Hoover should be a force to be reckoned with due to his overall driving experience at Trail-Way (he was the '07 point champ at T-W in the 270cc Class and won last year's season opener there) and because he will be buckled into some top-notch equipment. It's pretty obvious that when Ron Campbell decides to do something, he does it right.
MCR purchased a brand new PMP deluxe roller, two complete LHS prepared '05 Kawasaki engines with Guhl injection, and they've got a complete new parts inventory that will allow them to assemble three complete cars if needed. Many of the new parts were purchased from Ryan Wilson's stock when he moved up to the 358 Sprint Cars.
"I knew that, if we were going to do this, it was to win and compete with the top teams immediately - from the first time we unloaded the car," stated R. Campbell. "We will have all the equipment we need to compete for wins at any track at which we show up."
One look at the immaculately prepared 600 that Hoover will drive and the 270 to be gassed by Matt Campbell and it's easy to see that this team is first class all the way. Ron Campbell wants to win, but he also wants his equipment to reflect a positive image for this segment of the sport.
"Our cars are of exceptional quality and detail, and they will truly help grow and showcase the sport of Micro-Sprint racing," says Campbell.
Got to admire the man's style...
Matt Campbell, who turns the ripe old age of fourteen on April 1st of this year, will have a tried and true RTS at his disposal, along with engines built by his mentor and teammate, Todd Hoover.
Last year, in his maiden 270 season, Matt was plagued with a dozen motor failures. The team feels that problem will disappear with Hoover constructing the powerplants. While the DNF's were painful, the teenager from Fawn Grove, Pa. managed to find some success in his rookie campaign in the 270 ranks, winning once and racking up some top-five finishes.
While Campbell's Harrington Body Shop will be prominently displayed on both cars, the team has accumulated a strong group of additional sponsors to back its efforts in the rapidly approaching new season. Included in that list of MCR sponsors are: Ramsey Ford of Elkton, MD; Kayfield Automotive Paints; James A. Quick Mechanical Contractors; Gary's Auto Repair; NRG Controls, North Division; CMC Powdercoating; LHS Engines; Wing Dynamics; A1 Advertising; Fremont Auto Parts; and Kerstetter Counter Tops.
Matt's 270cc ride bears the number 16, and Hoover will carry his traditional No. 19 on the 600cc mount.
The Campbell's goal is to have Matt in a 358 Sprint Car by 2015, but they are taking things one step at a time. This year, however, it's a big step, but one that should pay huge dividends with Hoover on board. He's excited and grateful for the opportunity, and the Campbells are anxious to benefit from his experience and (hopefully) enjoy success with him as he branches into a new division.
Through Harrington Body Shop, Ron Campbell has supported local racers for many years. This season, the Harrington Body Shop name will be seen on the MCR cars as well as those of Cole Young and Gary Gorski (125cc Micros), the 358 Sprint Cars of Niki Young and former Micro-Sprint competitor Adrian Shaffer, and the 305 Sprinter driven by Sean Campbell.
For additional information on the team and its drivers, check out the following websites: www.mattcampbell16.com and www.toddhoover19.com.

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